1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to modular moving carts and, more particularly, to modular moving carts having two distinct manually fixable configurations whereby a first manually assembleable configuration engenders a dual, open-sided storage cart with a vertically extended central dividing wall and a second configuration which engenders a single open sided storage cart with twice the horizontal side-to-side storage depth and a rear vertically extended back wall.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Conventional shelving units are typically one piece or multi piece units which are constructed so as to fixedly store shelves at pre-selected intervals but which at the same time do not permit the simple conversion of the unit so as to increase or decrease the horizontal storage depth of the same. The following patents describe the state of the art with relation to shelving units.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,555,178 to P. O. Young describes a collapsible maid service truck of the character described which comprises a body frame having a plurality of fixed shelves; a pair of wheels mounted on the lower rear edge of said frame; a pair of swivel casters mounted on the front of said frame; a folding shelf assembly removably supported on the front of said frame; a folding frame hingedly fastened to the upper rear edge of said frame, and an articulated tail hinged to the lower rear edge of the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,662 to J. W. Richmond describes a combined cabinet and table having two hingedly connected halves, each comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a rear wall, a side wall and a front wall, said cabinet halves opening toward each other when the cabinet is closed. Horizontally disposed shelves are mounted within the cabinet halves for movement toward and away from the side walls thereof when the cabinet is open and said side walls are substantially co-planar. The shelves are removable from the cabinets and the two halves are provided with latches for holding them in the open or closed positions. The two halves are mounted upon wheels and all corners of said cabinet are rounded.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,275 to A. M. Spound et al. describes a modular shelf unit capable of assuming a variety of horizontal widths and angular configurations. The aesthetically pleasing shelf unit is formed from two independent upstanding side supports each having a plurality of cantilevered shelves extending therefrom and cooperative with one another to provide an interdigitated, self-supporting shelf unit that is both expandable in the horizontal direction and rotatable about an axis common to each independent side support. The resulting shelf unit is an adjustable, self-supporting structure which is readily adaptable for use in available spaces in homes and offices.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,971 to R. Leeds et al. describes a computer work station for use with a computer system which includes two sections, a front section and a rear section, pivotally connected about an exterior pivot axis. The rear section includes shelves for supporting some components of the computer system, such as the CPU, display monitor, keyboard and modem. A keyboard shelf is slidably disposed within the rear section, while other shelves are fixedly mounted therewithin. A common power strip is disposed between two of the shelves of the rear section for providing a single connection of at least some of the components of the computer system to an exterior power source. The front section includes a front panel which extends substantially the entire height of the computer work station, and includes a cork strip for posting memoranda and the like thereon. The front section further includes shelves for supporting other components of the computer system, such as a printer and its associated box of paper. None of the shelves extend the complete depth of the computer work station, so that cords used to connect the various components of the computer system may be conventionally placed therebehind. The computer work station also includes fasteners for supporting such cords between the front and rear sections. The front and rear sections are shaped complimentary with respect to each other, so that, when the computer work station is in a closed position, the two sections together form a substantially enclosed object.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,636 to N. Boury describes a storage for retaining CD cassettes or the like which includes at least two opposed towers that are hingedly connected along adjacent upright peripheral segments of the towers. The towers include a plurality of aligned ribbed portions that retain the cassettes when the towers are moved to a first locked position. The storage rack permits ready hand access to the cassettes when moved to a second unlocked position.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.